CRUK Publishes stark new report on cancer wating times in Northern Ireland

Our colleagues in the Northern Ireland Cancer Coalition, Cancer Research UK have shared a new report No Time To Wait: Cancer Research UK position on the risk to patients from long waits for cancer diagnosis and treatment in Northern Ireland, which sets out the scale of delays facing patients and the urgent action now required.

file:///C:/Users/dearb/Downloads/No%20Time%20To%20Wait%20report%20Jan%202026.pdf

Hive Cancer Report has always advocated for timely and fair cancer care.

In the past five years, around 15,400 patients in Northern Ireland began treatment later than the 62-day target following a red flag referral.

Cancer Research UK analysts predict that if health service performance remains as it is now, the situation will get worse and, over the next five years, around 20,000 people won’t start treatment on time.

Northern Ireland has the worst cancer waiting times in the UK, with performance declining for more than 16 years.

These long waits risk real harm: patients can become sicker while waiting, lose access to the full range of treatment options, and in the most serious cases may die unnecessarily.

Over the next five years, around 30,700 people will start treatment following a red flag referral, yet they represent only a third of all cancer diagnoses annually.

The report calls for a crisis response and stabilisation plan focused on reducing long waits and eliminating avoidable risks to patient safety. While longer‑term reform remains essential, a targeted turnaround approach is needed now to address the immediate pressures on cancer services and ensure that future investment delivers meaningful improvement.